Replacing Oil Pressure Gauge Lines
Replacing Oil Pressure Gauge Lines
This past Saturday I brought my 120 FHC to the local Jaguar dealer where
I was holding a Judge Training Session. I hoped to show the dealer that
we had some nice cars in the club. I arrived a few minutes early and parked
in a prominent spot in front of the showroom. As I got out of the car I
noted some shiny drops on the pavement which marked my path. I touched
one and quickly determined it was oil. Shortly thereafter I saw that there
was oil on the right hand fender coming from under the bonnet. Raising
the bonnet I found the entire right side of my formerly pristine engine
compartment, the firewall, frame and underside of the bonnet... dripping
with oil. Yes, for the first time, the wire-braid-covered, flex oil line
(to the oil pressure gauge) had failed. It had probably just happened for
I had only lost a couple of quarts. One of which was now on the pavement
in front of the dealer's showroom. The flex line appeared intact but oil
squirted out from between the steel braid. The up-side was that I wasn't
stuck out on a freeway and only a few miles from home. We made a temporary
fix by simply crimping the copper tubing of the flex oil line where it
exits the oil filter housing. The tubing was quite stiff and flattening
it required some hefty pliers. (It also could have been removed and hammered
closed.) I drove home without an oil pressure guage, installed another
line, and spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning up the oil. It was
about a 3 T-shirt problem!! While there was a simple emergency fix, the
consequences of the broken line could have been very costly. I had not
noted a drop in oil pressure and probably wouldn't have until the oil was
all gone. I guess the lesson is to change the flex oil line periodically,
to add one to the in-car spares kit, and to hope you'll catch the line
leaking before it ruins your whole day/week/month. The flex line is common
to all XKs. Bill Tracy and Welsh have them for $19 and $19.95 respectively.
Anyone have an idea of what the life of that line should be? A suggested
replacement interval? - Messy but wiser, Dick Cavicke
Dick, Some last forever, until they break, such as yours :-) Probably
want to change out every decade. MGB's also use such a line. You could
do what I did and convert to an AN-4 type hose by Earl's. It's a teflon
tube with SS braid covering it with aircraft fittings on the ends. Rated
for 300psi or more. Should last longer than I will. - George Badger
Dick Cavicke, wise advice to change the flexible oil pipe every now
and then. Remember too well when my one broke years ago. What period to
change the flex hose/pipe? I don't know. - Arno Wahl
A decade is a nice round easy to remember number. Set on an easy to
remember date, ie: wedding anniversary (I don't think so George) but a
holiday of some sort will work. - George Badger
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